Railway-switch.



No. 683,479. Patented. ont. 1,1901.-

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(App1ication'1ed'Apr. 5, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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iINiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAROUESS D. MOORE, OF WAVELAND, INDIANA.

RAILWAY- SWITCH.

SPEGIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 683,479, dated October I, 1'90'1.

Aspiration nea April 5, 1900.

To, all whom t may concern/j: l

.E Be it known that I, MARc'UEss D. Moena, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Wave land, in thecounty of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is aspccication. 7 r1`his invention relates lto improvements in railway-switches, and is more particularly designed as an improvement in that class of switches intended for use upon street-railways.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of switch compre hending in its structure improved means whereby the same may be readily operated from the platform of a car, and, furthermore, the invention aims to provide simple and improved means designed to be carried by the car whereby the operator of the latter may readily throw the switch for opening and closing the same and permit the car passing onto a siding.

With vthese and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consists substantiallyin the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as Will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the herein-described switch and the means for operating the same, the same being shown in its closed or normal position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a car, partly in section and illustrating the means carried thereby for operating the switch.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the rails of a main track, and 2 the rails leading into asiding. Pivotally connected, as in the usual manner, is a switchpoint 3, which point is connected to one of the main rails 1 in order that the passing car may be transferred onto the siding 2.

The preceding description relates to an ordinary form of track-sidin g. The lattertherefore needs no further description. The present invention, however, relates more particularly to the means for shifting the point 3,

serial No. 11,577. (No model.)

and the same consists of an angle-lever 4, mounted upon and movable with a standard 5, mounted at its ends within the casing 6. The lever4is suitably connected to the standard 5, so that when said lever is moved, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the standard 5 is adapted to move therewith. Secured to the lower 'end of the standard 5 is a transA versely-extending draft-arm 7, to the ends of which are connected draft-links S, the latter being crossed, as clearly shown. The oppo site ends of the links S are loosely connected to a shifting-lever 9, which comprises a longitudinally-extending portion 10 and laterally-projecting arms l1, to the other ends of which the links 8 are connected. It will be observed at this point that cach of the links 8 is provided with a buffer-spring 12, which springs are arranged intermediate the ends of said links, and the purpose of these springs is to relieve said links of strain and jar incident to the shifting of the lever 4 by the operating devices carried by the car. It will also be observed that the shifting-lever 9 is provided with diverging braces 13, extending from the ends of the arms 11 and suitably connected to the longitudinally-extending portion 10, whereby the arms 11 are greatly strengthened, and loosely attached to the rear end of the portion 10 is a connecting-link 14, which link is also attached to the switch-point 3. The lever 4 and the shifting-lever 9 are pivotally mounted, as at 15, to the base-board 16, which hoard may either be arranged upon the surface of the road-bed or disposed beneath the surface thereof.

For the purpose of operating the mechanism just describeda pair of vertically-extending contact-rods 17 is carried by the platform of the car, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and each of `said rods passes through the platform of the car and has its lower end turned upwardly to form an engaging shoe 18, these shoes 18 being adapted to contact with the diverging arms of the lever 4 according to the direction in which it is desired to shift the car. A coil-spring 19 also encircles each of the rods 17 for retaining the latter normally in elevated position, and thereby free from engagement with the lever 4, and said springs 19are disposed within a boxing 20, arranged ICO at the under side of the car, the lower ends of the springs 19 bearing against thev bottom of said box and having their upper ends engaging suitable stops 22, carried by the rods 17.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that with the mechanisrnin the positionA shown in Fig. l the switch-point 3 is in its -normal position or closed, and in the event that it is desired to transfer a car from the main line l to the siding 2 the same may be readily accomplished by depressing the contact-rod 17 which is farthest from the sidey of the main line l wherein the switch-point 3 is located, such depressionso positioning readily engage the adjacent arm of the'lever et, and when1 the contact takes place between sai'd shoe and said; arm the leveri-` is` swung upon: its pivot, through which movement the shitting-lever 9 ismoved in a direction opposite=to-thedirectionot movement Of said lever, withv the resulta-nt swinging of the shiftinglever upon its5 pivot. Such swingingmovement opens-the switch,r and the caristhereby adapted topass froml the mainline to the siding. When in this latter positionk and a car subsequently approaches the switch", the latter may be closed by depressing the contact-rodi 117, which is adjacent to the side of themainli'nefinl which1 the point Siisarra'n'giedf, whereupon the lever et is= engaged', andthe same, together with the shiftinglever 9, movedfi-n adirection reverser to the direction ot movement when-the switch isopeneda Afocord'ingly the point 3 is again swung to the what I claim as new, and desi-re to-secure by Letters` Patent, is

l. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-point; of Operating means therefor comprising a pivotally-supported standard; a draft-arml projecting from opposite sides thereof; an angle -lever fixed to the standard above the draft-arm and adapted to be struck by devices on a car; a shifting-lever centrally pivoted and consisting of a longitudinally-extending portion and laterally-ex- ;tending. arms;` crossed linksconnecting the ends of said arms with the draft-arms; and

`aV link connection between the switch-point the shoe 18 of said rod in such relation as to and shifting-lever.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination `withiaswitch-point', ofy a casing located between the rail'sI of a'tra'ck; a= standard pivotally su'pportedf in bearin'gsfot the casing; a

vdirait-armr projecting from Opposite sides of the standard; an anigle-leverxed upon the standard above the draft-arm and? adapted t-o be struck 'by devices carried by a car; a pivotedshifting-lever consisting of a longitudinally-extending portion, and laterally- MARCUESS D. M-OO'RE.

'Vitnesses:

LEONARD E. AOKER, JOHN T. MOORE. 

